"I've been told that nobody sings the word 'hunger' like I do. Or the word 'love.'"

"When you're poor and black, you're born into a world that turns your heart into a tin can and anyone who is in the mood swings out and kicks you. You're only a hunk, a black creature in a white world …"

"I never had a hit record. All I ever had was a hit song."

"I sing the way I feel."

"I don't want to be famous. I just want to be happy."